The Fan
by refreshingbeverage
Summary: Rick just wants Horatio to be straightforward with him. Part of the larger "seasonal" series, details inside. Rated M for language and adult situations.


This is part of a seasonal AU. Read "Apples", "Snowball" (a chapter in "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"), and "Flowers" before this.

**Warning**: this contains content that should only be read by mature audiences

* * *

**The Fan**

The little grey fan sitting on the corner of the desk ruffled a few papers that were pinned down by a stapler. Rick Stetler had shed his jacket several hours ago, closed all the blinds, and turned on the AC full blast. It was only late June and he already couldn't stand the heat. You would think that after so many years working for MDPD that he wouldn't be bothered as much by the heat and humidity. But every summer just seemed to get worse. It made even thinking about going outside unbearable.

For the first time in his life, he was happy that Horatio was quick with the trigger. Not only did he gun down a murderer, but the statements he had to give would probably take them into the cooler hours of the evening. But that still didn't make the late afternoon any more comfortable.

Sighing, Rick loosened his bright orange tie and popped the first few buttons of his pink and white shirt. As he did, his fingertips brushed against a thick mat of chest fur… which made him consider buttoning back up again. Ever since Yelina had told him how gross she thought it was, he had always made sure to cover it up… it sounded easier than waxing.

He shook his head and undid several buttons. Who cares what that bigot said, anyways? He only dated her so that he could get close to Horatio. She just got pissed off because she figured that out.

A soft knock at the door pulled his mind away from Yelina. Good thing too. Usually when he thinks on her too long he ends up getting frustrated and breaking something.

Rick watched as Horatio Caine gently nudged open the door and discreetly locked it behind him. The older man was wearing a light blue shirt, a form-fitting suit jacket, and a loose pair of slacks. His brilliant blue eyes and soft red hair just seemed to glow in the dim light of Rick's office. He stepped into the room, quietly closing the door behind him.

"You wanted to talk to me, Rick?" He asked.

Rick took a moment to pull himself together. For some reason, Horatio looked all the more gorgeous in the low lighting. "Yes, I need to talk to you about what happened in the field today".

Horatio was about to mention that he took one more killer off the streets, but decided against it once he saw Rick take out is voice recorder. Knowing the drill, Lieutenant Caine walked over to the small yet plush chair near Rick's desk. He glanced over at the younger man, his eyes raking down the slender figure. Lately, and ever since their previous meeting, he often found himself thinking of Rick. They never did get a chance to discuss their relationship, to talk about the deeper meanings behind any physical intimacy. That was perfectly alright with Horatio, he wasn't quite sure what he wanted anyways. He was positive that under the generally cold exterior, Rick was at heart a good man. But Horatio wasn't sure that he wanted to get into a serious relationship. Part of him was even convinced that he and Rick could be happy simply exploring each other's sexual sides. He had to admit, that even in the beginnings of the exploration, he did feel a sort of comfort when he was with Rick. He was still a little shy to admit it, but there was a basic thrill he found in kissing the younger man.

He sat down, his pants feeling a little tight.

"Horatio", Rick cooed, "tell me about the incident".

"I received a tip on Roy Earnwood's location from his former business partner. When Frank and I arrived at the scene, the house appeared to be empty. For the sake of caution, my weapon remained drawn. I found him waiting in the kitchen, wielding a knife. He threatened to stab me if I didn't cooperate. I told him that he needed to come to the station. He lunged at me, I feared for my life, I fired".

"Did Sergeant Tripp witness any of this?"

"He did, he was right behind me".

"Did you both identify yourselves?"

"We did, as soon as we got in".

Rick paused for a moment, unable to think of any more questions. Eventually he just shrugged and said, "Thank you, Lieutenant Caine. That's all I need". He turned off the voice recorder. "You can pick up your firearm from Molly on the way out".

"I know," the redhead smirked, leaning back in his chair.

The younger man stared into the soft blue eyes of the redheaded lieutenant on the other side of his desk. After a moment of awkward silence, Rick decided to get to the bottom of things.

"Is there something further that you would like to discuss with me, Horatio?"

"Isn't there something further that _you_ would like to discuss with _me_?"

"Not really".

Irritated, Rick watched as Horatio settled into his chair. Not going to budge any time soon.

"Horatio, you know I'm no good at guessing games. Why don't you just tell me what's on your mind?"

The redhead pouted, "so… this is it?"

"_What's_ it?"

"You know what I'm talking about".

"No. I. Don't," Rick growled. "Which should have been deduced by my questioning".

"So what is it?"

"Don't ask _me_ what it is, you idiot!"

"Seriously, did you get a boyfriend or something?"

Rick sputtered. "What the hell kind of a question is that?

"Hell, I was just curious, Rick".

"…Why?"

"Well, it's the first day of summer. With all the other seasons, you would have jumped my bones by now".

Rick cocked an eyebrow at that. "What? It's not the first day of summer". He immediately began digging through his planner to prove Horatio wrong, only to see that he was correct. "So it is. Happy summer".

The redhead pouted when he saw Rick try to get back to work. Horatio lifted the stapler and let the papers under it go fluttering across the desk and around the room. The look on the younger man's face immediately told him that that was a bad idea.

"Okay, fine," Rick snapped, folding his arms and glaring at Horatio, "you want attention. Well, you got it".

"Jesus, Rick! I thought you would be looking forward to the start of this season. You've really come onto me a lot in the past year. Now here we are, alone in your office, I'm ready to do anything you want me to".

"I'm really not in the mood for this," he lied, his pants tightening in contradiction, "humidity gives me headaches".

"You liar. You want this as badly as I do. You've wanted an answer for a while now, and here it is. I want this relationship. I want you. I want to feel sexy. I want to be a hedonist. I want to take a long vacation with you to the Keys. I need to see what you're like when you know that nobody's watching".

"Horatio…"

Smirking in satisfaction, Horatio stood up and walked around to the opposite side of the desk. Rick turned his chair to follow Horatio with his eyes, but he was promptly spun around once he was between the redhead and his desk. He gasped as a hand slid down over his shoulder and began rubbing his chest, successfully pinning him to the chair. Swallowing hard, he felt long, pale fingers tangle in his chest fur.

"Don't play games," Horatio's low and rough baritone voice whispered into Stetler's ear, making the younger man's temperature rise. "I know what this is. You're having me make the first move. And you're rewarding me the same way I foolishly rewarded you. But we're more alike than you think, Rick. I'm not going to back down either".

_Damn. He's good. No wonder he got that promotion._

Rick opened his mouth to retort, but the feeling of a wet and warm tongue dipping into his ear made him forget what he was going to say. A ragged breath left his lips as he tilted his head back against Horatio's chest, not having the ability to hold it up anymore. He shivered as he felt Horatio's deep chuckle reverberate throughout the redhead's body, making his fingertips vibrate slightly.

The next thing Rick knew, Horatio was sitting backwards on his lap, clicking at the computer. He was left staring at the collar of the redhead's black jacket, a few stray hairs lounging on the fabric and shining a radiant crimson. Leaning forward, the younger man greedily and discreetly breathed in the scent of Horatio's shampoo, cologne, and vaguely musky scent. The combination was nothing short of intoxicating to him.

Baby Bash's "Cyclone" began playing from the small speakers next to the computer. This earned a quirked eyebrow from Rick as Horatio got off his lap and went back behind him again.

"Horatio?"

"Shh".

Rick gasped as hands slid back over his chest from behind. Slowly, each of the buttons were pulled open, exposing more and more chest fur. The redhead purred in satisfaction as he ran his fingers through it. Rick's eyes drifted shut as he felt the older man's touch began to pulse with the rhythm. Soft lips gently brushed against his neck as pale hands caressed his chest.

"Mmm," the redhead hummed, "you like that, don't you?"

The younger man opened his eyes as his chair was pulled away from the desk. Horatio circled him, eyeing him up like a piece of meat. Rick's legs were kicked together, Horatio straddling them and sitting on his lap. Brown eyes widened as the brunette felt the other man's crotch rub up against his body and start grinding against his stomach. Their gaze followed up the older man's body, meeting blue and lust-filled eyes.

_Oh my God. Is Horatio giving me a lap dance?_

The redhead smirked as he shrugged the jacket off, letting it fall off his shoulders and pool onto the floor. Rick's eyes drank in the sight of the older man's strong and broad shoulders, covered in a fabric as blue as his eyes. He gasped as he felt Horatio's growing bulge press harder against him.

"You like that, Rick?"

Rick could do little more than nod as Horatio moved to one leg and began rubbing his bulk against the brunette's thigh. One hand reached out and held onto Rick's shoulder, the other moving slowly over the buttons of the soft blue shirt. Horatio looked seductively into Rick's eyes, a light smile crossing his lips as he exposed his chest to the younger man. Pale, freckled, and lightly coated with soft red fur… God help him, Rick loved it. He bit his lip and moaned softly as the redhead began rolling his hips.

_Oh God… how long has he been able to do this?_

Horatio chuckled and leaned forward, resting his forehead on Rick's shoulder, his crotch still grinding. Instinctively, the younger man took the redhead's face in his hands, leaning down and giving him a hot and wet kiss. The sensation made Rick's blood rush to a quickly responding cock, leaving just enough in his cheeks to make him blush as Horatio submissively opened his mouth. Rick's arms wrapped around the man humping his leg as his tongue darted into the sweet cavern. Ever since he stole his first kiss from the man back in autumn, he had loved the taste of Horatio Caine. There was the delicate air of a French pastry mixed with the rich essence of Italian cuisine, all this laced with the taste of fine cigars and something that he could only describe as Horatio.

Skillfully, Rick pulled the older man's shirt off as their tongues continued to tangle. Horatio shivered as he felt Rick's large hands slide over his back, holding him close. The fan made a gentle breeze that cooled a rapidly heating body. The fact that Rick wanted to get his hands on as much of his body as he could thrilled him. Yesterday he spent lounging in the sun, he knew that the freckles that covered his back and shoulders must really stand out; it made him feel self conscious, as if it would be enough of a turn-off for Rick to stop. He tensed slightly as his new lover pulled him close to suck on his neck, knowing that Rick would use the opportunity to look down the curve of his back to see the cleft of his ass. In the brief moment of anxiety, Horatio was pulled away from the situation.

_What the hell am I doing? _ He thought, the grind he was giving falling out of tempo. _Giving out lap dances to hip-hop? That's not me. Why couldn't I have invited him to dinner at my place? God, this is so stupid. He must think I'm-_

"-mmm," Rick purred, nibbling on his ear and interrupting Horatio's thoughts, "sexy redhead".

In that moment, he was brought back to the office, the feeling of Rick's heavy breaths against him, the rhythm of the music. Horatio felt all the warmth rushing through him as he sat up and looked into the younger man's eyes, once a soft chestnut, now black as pitch.

"Horatio," Rick drawled, pulling the CSI closer, their lips lightly brushing together. "Stop me if I'm being too forward".

The redhead felt Rick shift under him, looking down just in time to watch the younger man open his pants. A blush crossed his freckled cheeks as he knew what he needed to do. It was really hardly necessary, but he really felt that Rick deserved it. Maybe after all the unnecessary shit that the team puts him through, after all the years of chastising, Horatio _did_ owe him a… favor.

Rick trembled as he felt the younger man's lips begin to trace over his chest. He arched his back in want as the redhead bit lightly at his sensitive nipples. Rick guided Horatio, long fingers tangled in beautiful and silky red hair. Lips and tongue drew lazy patterns over Rick's fur covered chest, sucking and leaving little love bites where he knew the younger man wanted them the most.

The song ended by the time Horatio got to his knees between Rick's legs. He watched, his mouth watering as Rick dipped his hand into his pants and past the folds of his boxers, drawing out a long, thick, and hard cock. In the blink of an eye, Horatio had taken it into his mouth, sucking greedily before he even could fully register what had happened. Rick threw back his head and moaned as Horatio's talented tongue began gliding over his shaft, his body tensed in anticipation, wanting to know what the redhead would do next.

Horatio closed his eyes and held still for a moment, letting his mouth get used to the weight on his tongue and the taste on his lips. Rick was big; his cock was thick and a good two inches longer than the redhead's. For a moment, Horatio almost pulled back in horror. This was the first time he had ever _given_ a man oral; he had been far too shy with his small handful of male lovers back in college. Slowly, he took more into his mouth, hoping that he wouldn't embarrass himself by gagging. With a little help, he pulled Rick's pants off, fondling the younger man's balls through the soft, silky fabric of his boxers. Dipping his tongue into the slit, he tried to remember everything that he liked; hoping Rick would enjoy it too.

Moaning happily, Rick finally gathered up the strength to look down. What he saw nearly undid him. Big blue eyes were staring up with an expression that was almost innocent. His already pronounced cheekbones stood out even more when his jaw was dropped to take in Rick's shaft. The loose strands of hair that hung over the redhead's forehead bounced slightly when he bobbed his head up and down on the length. Pale fingers wrapped around the base, pumping it slowly as Horatio sucked lovingly on the tip. Rick felt beads of sweat form on his brow as he watched the older man suck him off. But the redhead wasn't about to let Rick have his satisfaction… yet.

The younger man's breaths were coming in heavy gasps as he watched Horatio slide the cock out of his mouth. The redhead stood, his lips slightly red from their recent effort. Never in his life had Rick imagined what that mouth would look like right after it had held him so close to ecstasy. The power in Horatio's body that Rick had found himself to be so attracted to was emphasized by the older man now towering over him. It was as sexy as it was dirty.

Horatio smirked, enjoying the attention his blow job had earned him. He fumbled open his own trousers, the object on them hot with the knowledge of eminent satisfaction. His baby blue eyes drank in the sight of Rick Stetler: exposed, hard, and examining his package.

"You like what you see?" Horatio purred as he pushed the fabric covering him aside, showing the brunette his firecrotch. Rick blinked in surprise when he learned that the CSI wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Oh God, you know what turns me on, Horatio," Rick moaned, reaching down and stroking his own erection. "You know what I want".

His pants now thoroughly loosened, he got back up on Rick's leg, backwards this time. Slowly, he began rubbing his well-formed ass against the younger man's thigh. Rick watched, mesmerized as the fabric began riding down Horatio's form, exposing the curve of his body. Unable to help himself, Rick stared down into the cleavage of the redhead's backside, imagining what it would be like to pull that fabric all the way down.

It wasn't long before Rick's wish was granted and Horatio gave his trousers a good tug, showing off the goods. A blush washed across the redhead's shoulders and down his back, knowing that now all he would have to do is let go and he would be completely naked for Rick. Slightly embarrassed, he rubbed the crack up against the younger man's stiff cock. Blue eyes drifted shut as he tried to get used to the feeling of Rick like this behind him, the brunette's large hands now guiding his hips.

With a little push, Rick stood up behind the redhead. He gently moved Horatio aside as he, with one swoop, brushed nearly everything off his desk. Papers, files, pens, paperclips, and a stapler crashed to the ground on the opposite side. Horatio expected Stetler to just bend him over the desk and take him right then and there, so he was somewhat surprised when he was turned around and slowly kissed. He was hardly offended or anything at this, the feeling of Rick's tongue in his mouth felt so natural and perfect. A shiver ran through his body as the brunette shoved the boxers off his slender hips and let their hard pricks rub together. Horatio had never done it in anyone's office before, and the feeling of Rick's suit jacket and unbuttoned shirt against his bare skin just made the entire experience all the more erotic for him.

Rick pulled back, looking into Horatio's cobalt eyes, trying to see if he really wanted this as badly as his actions suggested. He did. Stetler took a moment to rake his eyes down as far as his current position allowed him to, looking at the red fur coated chest and the freckled shoulders. The redhead gasped and held onto him as Rick reached down and lifted the older man up by his thighs. He was heavy, but all Rick needed to do was lift him onto the desk and pull off his shoes and socks. Horatio sat there, willing, completely naked, and a little nervous. Rick placed a rough kiss on his lips for encouragement before spreading and getting between his legs. The redhead swallowed hard, positive that _this time_ he would be lain out on the desk and immediately entered. Instead, Rick began rummaging through the desk drawers.

"Rick?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for this," the younger man smiled, pulling a condom packet out of the drawer and immediately ripping it open.

The redhead smirked. "You keep condoms in your desk?"

"Gotta keep something in my desk".

Horatio shrugged, it was a good enough answer as any.

"Lights on or off?"

"I prefer off".

Rick nodded as he reached over and turned off the monitor and the desk lamp, plunging the room into a soft blue hue. "Have you done this with a man before?" he asked as he rolled the sheath onto his length.

The older man nodded, "back in college I have a number of times. But not recently, no".

"Well, don't worry about that," Stetler comforted, gently guiding Horatio down onto the desk. "The fundamentals haven't changed".

The redhead smiled at that until he felt his legs lifted so that his ankles were resting on Rick's shoulders. This was new for him. Instinctively, he reached down and grabbed onto the edge of the desk closest to the action. He heard a rummaging again, looking down to see Rick pull lotion out of one of the drawers.

"Just relax," the brunette cooed before he lightly probed one newly lubricated finger into Horatio.

The older man gasped as the digit pressed through the ring of muscle that wasn't quite with the program and was wanting to resist. Blue eyes drifted closed and his jaw dropped slightly as Rick gently massaged him until his body was loose and completely willing. Horatio drew in a quick breath through his teeth as a second finger was pushed in, the two lightly scissoring him. Rick was careful not to go poking around for the redhead's prostate, not quite so sure how close Horatio was to the edge.

Horatio's thoughts were scattered as Rick continued to pump. He kept thinking things ranging from "_Oh fuck yeah, Stetler" _to "_I'm an officer of the law, I shouldn't be doing this"_ to "_Did I remember to sign that file for the Earnwood case?"_. But the feeling of Rick's strong hand wrapping around and lightly pumping Horatio's cock got the redhead firmly into the _"Oh fuck yeah, Stetler"_ mindset. The third finger helped too.

"I'm ready," Horatio whispered after a soft and almost involuntary moan.

"Alright," Rick nodded, pulling his fingers out and rubbing some lotion onto his prick, "just breathe".

Horatio mouthed the word "okay" as he tried to prepare himself mentally. Trying to remember exactly how it felt all those years ago. He tensed slightly as he felt Rick position himself, the tip of the brunette's cock lightly brushing against his ass cheeks.

He could hardly think, let alone breathe, as Rick pushed in. Blue eyes were half-lidded as he watched Rick lean forward slightly, bracing himself on the desk. The brunette was kind to Horatio's tight entrance, moving slowly and pausing every once in a while to let him adjust. By the time he was all the way in, the redhead was gasping and panting already, beads of sweat formed on his chest and were immediately cooled by the fan that was now blowing onto Horatio's pale body.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked, brushing a strand of hair out of his face.

"Oh God… just fuck me".

Horatio moaned softly as he felt the younger man roll his hips, lightly thrusting into him. He closed his eyes as Rick immediately leaned down, resting his chest against Horatio's and nestling his chin on the redhead's shoulder; Horatio's legs wrapping around Rick's waist. Rick's lips lightly brushed against Horatio's shoulder as he whispered the redhead's name over and over. Horatio moaned, louder this time as his cock was rubbed against Rick's stomach.

"I've wanted you, Horatio," Rick purred into his neck as he sucked on it. "I've wanted you for a _long_ time. Always wanted a firecrotch".

The redhead's face was turned and their lips met, Rick's tongue once again darting into Horatio's mouth. Nervously, Horatio's hands let go of the desk, reaching up to slide under the younger man's jacket. Rick was slender, but it did nothing to take away from the power he had behind each hard thrust he drilled into Horatio.

"Oh God, Rick".

The brunette gave him a quick parting kiss before he stood up, getting Horatio's ankles back onto his shoulders and holding his hips steady. The redhead noticed a trace of a shadow on the frosted glass of Rick's locked office door. He was tempted to mention it, but the feeling of the younger man starting to massage his prostate made him forget all about it.

"Oh GOD, Rick!"

"You like that, sexy? I knew you would".

Horatio shivered as his calf was slowly licked, the damp trail Rick's tongue left cooled by the fan. A hand reached up and gently began playing with the redhead's nipples, pinching and circling them one at a time. Unable to stand it any longer, Horatio let go of the desk and began pumping his cock in time with Rick's thrusts. He closed his eyes and moaned, letting the sensation overwhelm him.

Then the door opened.

A scream.

Rick looked up. Horatio was too afraid to move, he was positive that if he did he would get fired. Natalia stood in the doorway, staring at them slack-jawed and holding the "L" shaped old credit card she used to get past the lock.

"Oh. My. God".

"Natalia, get out of here!" Rick growled, protectively leaning over Horatio and planting a hand near his shoulder and head.

"H-Horatio?"

"I said get the fuck out of here!"

With that, Rick grabbed the nearest item he could part with, which was the fan. He tore it out of the wall socket and drew it back, preparing to throw it at her. Under any normal situation, it would have stopped there, but this hardly normal. The device split in two along the grate when it hit the door as she slammed it shut and ran off.

"Fuck," Horatio swore softly.

"Yeah…"

"We're going to get dishonorably discharged. No way in hell is she going to keep her mouth shut about this".

Rick thought for a moment before smirking, "No way in hell is anyone going to believe her".

"Are you sure?"

"Think about it… you and I... And I don't think that anyone would see past breaking into my office. If she's smart, she'll keep quiet".

"Oh God…" Horatio groaned in dread, his arousal beginning to wind down. Rick noticed this and lightly ran his fingertips through the patch of red fur at the base of Horatio's cock.

"Hey," he whispered, "if we're going to lose our jobs over this, might as well go all the way".

Horatio smiled weakly before moaning as he was stroked by Rick's talented hand. It wasn't long before he was as throbbing as he was before, the prostate massage he received sending him right back to the edge. Sweat began to form along his hairline as Rick began to work his body again. Soon he was breathing only in short gasps and was hanging for dear life onto the desk with his eyes closed.

"Let go," Rick purred, "cum for me".

Horatio gritted his teeth as he tried to hang onto his control, but it was slipping fast once Rick pumped his dick faster.

"Come on, you sex-bomb. Cum".

The redhead moved his lips to form Rick's name, but he forgot how to speak as he was just driven harder and harder.

"I want you, Horatio".

With that, the older man moaned loudly and arched his back. His body tensed as he shot his load over Rick's hand and onto his own chest, a bit of it traveling far enough to land on a corner of his mouth. He wanted to just relax his body into the desk, but Rick's arousal had other plans.

The brunette held Horatio's seemingly boneless body still as he began to thrust wildly. The contractions from Horatio's orgasm had brought him so close that it was impossible for him to hold back any longer.

"Horatio. Horatio. Horatio. Hora- Oh God!"

Stetler rode his climax out, thrusting vigorously into Horatio's used and slightly sore backside. His body spent and the condom full, Rick slumped over the older man, gasping heavily.

"Rick," he whispered, wishing he had the strength to lift his arms, let alone pull the brunette back onto his chest.

It took a few minutes of just staying perfectly still and breathing heavily before Rick finally let his soft cock slip out of the redhead. He pulled the condom off, wrapped it in a few tissues, and stuffed it into an unused pocket of his briefcase. He wasn't going to risk throwing it away here… that and a stray thought told him to have it bronzed.

Horatio groaned as he sat up, the sharp sting his backside gave him ordering him to lie back down. He had forgotten about this little detail. But the regret was fleeting; a loving smile from Rick hinting that it was completely worth it. The brunette kissed the drop of cum off Horatio's mouth, and handed a wad of tissues to him.

"Rick?" he whispered, cleaning his release off his chest and tossing the used Kleenex into the waste bin. "What do you suppose will happen to us?"

"I honestly don't know. But… I think it was worth it". Rick smiled, looking hopefully into Horatio's eyes.

"We'll have to do that again sometime".

The brunette grabbed a Sharpie out of his desk and scrawled his personal cell number across Horatio's chest. "Call me".

"I will… I promise".

The two men got dressed in a comfortable silence. Rick took his extra time to get the papers back onto his desk and turn the light back on. It was all too soon before Horatio was dressed and ready to go.

"Natalia owes me a new fan," Rick grumbled, picking up the pieces.

"I'll buy you one," Horatio offered, "if we don't come in tomorrow to find ourselves fired".

Rick nodded sadly, hoping that this really wasn't the last time he would be seeing the redhead.

"You know," Horatio said timidly, "I know this great little Italian place. Cozy, good food… I would like to take you there sometime".

"Really?"

"Mhmm".

They were already at the door; this was the problem with saying goodbye in an office. Realistically, it can't last too long. Horatio was unsure of how to end this, but the answer was quite clear when Rick pulled him into a long and slow kiss. The redhead blushed when he realized that his body was still tingling slightly from the experience Rick had given him just a few minutes before.

The next thing Horatio knew, he was alone in the hallway, Rick's office door closed behind him. What had just happened? How long did they kiss? Did he say goodbye? Did he say "I love you"? The words felt like they were on his lips, but were they spoken? Did he really love Rick?

The CSI lieutenant shook his head and started down the hallway with a noticeable limp. He would have to ask the big questions later. Right now he just wanted to get home and take a long, hot bath before climbing into bed.

He rounded the corner.

"Natalia?"

Ms. Boa Vista was sitting outside the ladies restroom, next to the drinking fountain. She looked a strange shade of pale and green. Slowly, she looked up at her employer.

"That…" she said slowly, "was _disgusting_".

Horatio was far too spent to get angry about that remark, it wasn't that important anyways. "Let's try to keep this quiet, okay?"

"No! I'm going right to you supervisor and tell him everything that I-"

"-you're fired".

She blinked before choking on her own disbelief, "What? You can't do that! What are you even firing me for, threatening to tell the world about you and Stetler's sexcapades?"

"No. I caught you breaking into Sergeant Stetler's office, remember?"

She opened and closed her mouth, as if it would eventually lead her to say something intelligent.

"Why were you doing that, did he have something on you?"

Her cheeks turned a light pink as she wished she could run away.

"Because what you saw… it was just sex. What we saw, on the other hand, was breaking and entering. So what did he have on you, or were you looking for something on him?"

Natalia thought for a second before quickly saying, "Don't fire me".

"Are we going to walk away and pretend that this never happened?"

"Yes yes, I swear, I promise".

"Good, you're re-hired. Now give me that card and get out of here".

She dug around in her purse and handed him the "L" shaped credit card that she used to break in. Horatio shook his head as he watched her dart to the stairwell and head down to the parking garage. Stuffing the card in his pocket, he boarded the elevators and started heading for home himself.

He winced as he sat down in his car, hoping that he wouldn't ache for much longer. The windows were rolled down, trying to air out the car, stuffy from the summer heat. After doing a quick check for security cameras, he pulled out his phone and opened his shirt. He wanted to get the number programmed before he washed it off. He typed in the name, unable to keep himself from sighing stupidly at the sight of it. After a long moment, he began entering in the number.

"Horatio?"

The redhead jumped, almost dropping the phone when he did. "Hi, Frank".

The older man cocked his head, looking at his friend in the car. "What are you doing?"

"Just recording a phone number".

Frank cocked his eyebrow, "in you wrote it in huge numbers on your chest to remember it?"

"…yes".

"Okay… well… I was just wondering if you wanted to come over to catch the ball game tonight".

Horatio shook his head, "no, I'm pretty beat. I think I'm just going to go home and sleep".

The older man nodded, "I hear ya. Did you do your interview with Stetler yet?"

"Mhmm," Horatio hummed, tempted to say what else he did with Stetler.

"I tried to, but when I got to his office, the lights were off and the door was locked. I guess he left early. Hey, you look kind of flushed, are you alright?"

"Fine. Well, I'm kinda tired. Gotta get to sleep. I'll see you later, Frank".

Frank watched as Horatio drove off, wondering who the hell write notes on their chest.


End file.
